Rahul Mishra Fall/Winter 2015: The Village

2013/14 International Woolmark Prize winner Rahul Mishra presents his Fall/Winter 2015 collection during his second season of Paris Fashion Week. “The Village” is created as a graphical sketchbook of the village he grew up in. Photos by Valerio Mezzanotti / Courtesy of Totem Fashion.

Seeing Rahul Mishra Fall/Winter 2015 collection is like flipping through the pages of a great story book. The designer intends to encapsulate the “balanced existence of nature and mankind, traditional and modern, and brings to life finest fibers, weaves and craft techniques, practiced in villages across the world.” Mr. Mishra’s knack of story telling through his garments chimes harmoniously with his sustainable design philosophy of slow fashion, as well as his collaborations with craft and hand looms community in India.

The Mumbai-based label shot to international fame when Rahul Mishra won prestigious International Woolmark Prize during Milan Fashion Week, and the Fall/Winter 2015 is a great showcase of his design taste and craftsmanship. The organic materials of wool and silk organza look chic and modern, albeit with the right dose of whimsy and imagination that I normally see on decorated paper goods and picture story books. There’s a bit of childlike fun present in the adult garments; a “crafty” quality that keeps Rahul Mishra Fall/Winter 2015 collection grounded in the heart of its commercial marketability.